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Pax

War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age - THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

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Pax

By: Tom Holland
Narrated by: Tom Holland
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£5.99/mo after 3 months. Offer ends on 5 July 2026 at 11:59 BST. Cancel monthly.

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THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

'Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Rome's bloody history' The Times

'A book for lovers of traditional, grand sweep narrative history' Sunday Times

The definitive history of Rome's golden age - antiquity's ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness

The Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state the world had yet seen.

Beginning in 69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian's Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.

A stunning portrait of Rome's glory days, this is the epic history of the pax Romana.©2023 Tom Holland Ancient Rome Ancient History Thought-Provoking Italy Mythology Ancient Greece
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Critic reviews

Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Rome's bloody history. He has a novelist's vibrant writing style and turns a good phrase. Familiar elements of this period, such as the destruction of Pompeii, still feel fresh in his retelling and he avoids the temptation of so many joyless modern classicists to moralise about what rotters these Romans were with their slavery and their bloodshed and their lack of a proper safeguarding mission statement. He judges them purely by their own values (Patrick Kidd)
This is not an underexamined period of history, but Holland handles his material (his sources are primarily Roman: Pliny, Tacitus, Suetonius, Cassius Dio) with rigour and elan. He has a compelling narrative style and an eye for diverting detail. This is a book for lovers of traditional, grand sweep narrative history (Gavanndra Hodge)
For all the years that have separated the publication of each book in his trilogy, Holland is a surprisingly consistent writer, one whose style you could recognise at a glance. There may be less back-stabbing and court intrigue in this book than in Rubicon and Dynasty; but in allowing us to tread the further reaches of empire through the eyes of the men holding the reins, Pax provides a deeper and more complex vista on Rome... a masterful blend of subtle politics and carnal colour (Daisy Dunn)
A sweeping, colourful history of Rome at its swaggering, superpower zenith by The Rest is History podcaster and bestselling author. Hail Caesar! Hail Tom Holland! (Robbie Millen)
A triumph... Holland has a talent for drawing out the character and concerns of the age, whilst neither omitting nor being overwhelmed by the facts and dates. His account of the eruption of Vesuvius is dramatic, moving and rivals the set-pieces of the classical historians
Holland is a master of immediacy... [a] fascinating time, skilfully sparked into life
Holland's superb storytelling takes us right into this era as viewed from every standpoint, offering fresh insights into well-worn history
Masterful and engaging... The idea of death as the foundation of life, chaos as the foundation of order, war as the foundation of peace, is central to this outstanding book
Pax is a superb conclusion to Holland's trilogy. There's no other historian who can bring the ancient world before the reader in all its sights, sounds and smells, its pomp, magnificence and martial glory, its strivings and sufferings and horror. Riveting from first page to last (Christopher Hart)
A rich and fascinating period of history requires a companionable guide. Holland's erudite and irresistibly readable account amounts to a marvellous vademecum (Llewelyn Morgan)
All stars
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Beautifully written, captivating and informative without pretension, it’s a story which is impossibly addictive. Thank you

If I could give it a rating of 10 I would

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Loved it for its portrayal of a history in an entertaining format. A reading by an author is always a treat.

Assessable history

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I missed more analysis and conclusion rather than events and verbal pirouettes. Overuse of words such as fabric, convulsions, and sheer. The incorrect pronounciation of princeps was rather annoying. A professional reader could have probably made it better.

What does it all mean?

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Superb retelling of the demise of Nero, the year of the four emperors and the Flavian dynasty. I'm familiar with Christian history and it's excellent to hear the Roman history described, knowing that the early Church was interacting with and in this morally ambiguous and cruel empire. Fascinating stuff. Brilliant treatment of the fall of Jerusalem and how it propped up the Emperor via propaganda. I enjoyed this having previously read Domininon, and it was well worth it.

Rome with all its moral ambiguities brought to life

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Having read his two earlier books on Rome and greatly enjoyed both I was greatly looking forward to PAX. It was well worth the wait. I could hardly stop listening. superb

superb

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